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A TRUE COPY <br />CERTIFICATION ON LAST PAGE <br />RYAN L. BUTLER, CLERK <br />15) Establish designated areas for equipment staging and parking to minimize the area of ground <br />disturbance. <br />16) Use low ground pressure equipment when practicable, particularly on equipment traveling over large <br />portions of units with sensitive soils or site conditions. <br />17) Suspend skidding or yarding operations when soil moisture levels could result in unacceptable soil <br />damage. <br />18) Perform skidding or yarding operations when soil conditions are such that soil compaction, <br />displacement, and erosion would be minimized. <br />19) Avoid ground equipment operations on unstable, wet, or easily compacted soils and on steep slopes <br />unless operation can be conducted without causing excessive rutting, soil puddling, or runoff of <br />sediments directly into waterbodies. <br />20) Develop an erosion control and sediment plan that covers all disturbed areas including skid trails and <br />roads, landings, cable corridors, temporary road fills, water source sites, borrow sites, or other areas <br />disturbed during mechanical vegetation treatments. <br />21) Work with the contractor to locate landings, skid trails, and slash piles in suitable sites to avoid, <br />minimize, or mitigate potential for erosion and sediment delivery to nearby waterbodies. <br />22) When skidding in wetlands with organic soils, concentrate skid trails to as small an area as possible, <br />and minimize the number of trails on a given site. <br />23) To the greatest extent possible: forestry operations in wetlands which exhibit seasonal inundation or <br />saturation should be limited to dry conditions only, and forestry operations in wetlands which are <br />continually saturated or inundated should be limited to low-water conditions. <br />24) Minimize skidder and other heavy equipment operation in wetlands during wet conditions to avoid <br />widespread excessive soil rutting. <br />25) Implement mechanical treatments on the contour of sloping ground to avoid or minimize water <br />concentration and subsequent accelerated erosion. <br />26) Routinely inspect disturbed areas to verify that erosion and stormwater controls are implemented and <br />functioning as designed and are suitably maintained. <br />27) Install suitable stormwater and erosion control measures to stabilize disturbed areas and waterways <br />on incomplete projects before seasonal shutdown of operations or when severe storm or cumulative <br />precipitation events that could result in sediment mobilization to waterbodies are expected. <br />28) Schedule all vegetation removal, trimming, and grading of vegetated areas outside of the peak bird <br />breeding season to the maximum extent practicable. Use available resources, such as internet-based <br />tools (e.g., the FWS's Information, Planning and Conservation System, Avian Knowledge Network, or <br />the county's existing biological profiles) to identify peak breeding months for local bird species; or <br />contact local Service Migratory Bird Program Office for breeding bird information. When project <br />activities cannot occur outside the bird nesting season, conduct surveys prior to scheduled activity to <br />determine if active nests are present within the area of impact and buffer any nesting locations found <br />during surveys. <br />29) Avoid prolonged heavy equipment operation (generally in excess of one day), except for prescribed <br />burning and related activities, within 490 feet of active, known and visibly apparent kestrel nests from <br />March through June. <br />30) For southeast American kestrels, leave standing snags where they do not pose a safety issue, as per <br />the Silviculture BMP Manual as incorporated in Rule 51-6.002 F.A.C., and avoid damaging or felling <br />known nest trees. <br />31) Avoid heavy equipment operation (except for prescribed burning and related activities) within 400 feet <br />of active, known and visibly apparent Florida sandhill crane nests from February through May 9. <br />